Nelco celebrates 120 years and a new generation of leadership

2026 is a year of milestones and changes for Nelco Mechanical. The company is celebrating 120 years of business. At the same time, owners Rich Snider, President and Christine Snider, Chief Operations Officer and Health and Safety Manager have passed the baton to the next generation of leadership with Matt Snider as VP of Construction and Michael Hobson as President, taking over the reins of the Kitchener-based sheet metal, plumbing, gas fitting, and air conditioning company. 

Nelco Mechanical has been providing trusted mechanical solutions to businesses, property owners, and facilities throughout the province and beyond since 1906. The company was founded by Willian Knell in downtown Kitchener with a humble plumbing, heating, hardware, retail and wholesale business. It expanded in 1941 with a sheet metal department along with more family members joining in the ownership team. 

In 1957, Nelco Mechanical moved to its current location where the air conditioning department was added in 1971 followed by the electrical department in 1977. For Michael, the company’s longtime success at weathering changes in the industry, technology, and leadership comes down to one thing — its people.

"Everyone who has worked here has had a real respect for that logo and that name and what it means to be a part of Nelco," Michael says. "There's always been a solid core of people who care. When you walk in the door down there, there's a 25-year plaque, and there are a lot of names on it."

Christine says Nelco has always treated its employees as more than a number on a spreadsheet.

"We tried to create an atmosphere of family. If you talk to our employees, they've always said, ‘When we come into work every day, we know we're with our peers, we know we're cared for, we know we're heard.’ That’s a big thing. There’s loyalty," she says.

But being in business for 120 years takes more than a great team—it takes great work that builds trust across generations. Rich says Nelco’s reputation is built on quality work and never leaving the site until the job is done.

"They know our integrity and our honesty," Rich says. "They know we'll see the project through and they can count on us."

Even after transitioning ownership to Michael and Matt, Christine says you’ll still find Rich at a site making sure everything has been done to the client’s satisfaction.

"We've been going back and forth to a site for about four months perfecting a building automation system. Rich is still going weekly with the engineers and the controls guys because we're not going to walk away until we know the system is running properly for our customer," she says.

 As the technology has changed, so has the way Nelco approaches training and development. Nelco’s project managers are experienced tradespeople, but Michael says the complexity of the tools and technology they use has grown exponentially. That evolution means training has to change too, including courses he says people couldn’t have envisioned 15 years ago, such as AI tools, design and project management tools, and even robotic layout systems.

"Our guys say they got into this business to be a plumber or a sheet metal mechanic, and now they’re the tech support guy in their family because they know more about computers than their kids do," Michael says. "The training we offer through our various associations, GVCA included, has been a game changer."

As a woman in the trades, Christine has had a front row seat to how construction and the trades have changed to bring more women into the industry. She notes that past GVCA president Martha George played a pivotal role in the beginning of her career.

"There were many days I just wanted to quit, because it was tough as a woman in this industry to have someone listen to you, or even to walk into a boardroom. She was key as a mentor to me, and she passed her experience on to others. Jeff and Mandy have really embraced that and carried it forward. GVCA has been pivotal in the development of the trades and of women in the trades," she says.

Christine has been part of the Women in Construction committee, and while the group has been beneficial, she says the true change comes from male allies creating space. 

"There's a place for women only, where they can open up and talk to each other about what they're dealing with and struggling with. But we also have to say, ‘Okay, ladies, we've been doing this a while. If we want to keep succeeding in this industry, we have to partner with our male allies and move forward together.’ That's a great shift Jeff and Mandy have implemented, and we've leaned into it more this year," Christine says.

As Michael marks his first month as president of Nelco Mechanical, he is looking ahead towards Nelco’s next milestone anniversary and beyond by putting the right structures in place for when Matt assumes the role.

"We all agree the company is the lifeblood for 120 people. It's not just us. It's 120 people we consider family," Michael says. "You want to make sure that when you're gone, the company is still here, and you can drive by those sites and see that logo when you're in your 70s or 80s and still feel a bit of pride. Nelco's been good to us, and we want to be good to Nelco, so Nelco can continue to be good to future generations."